法華經義記 5.59

5.59

「父每念子」此下第四，明父既失子來久憂念轉深，但眾生失解廣起煩惱，如來慈悲愍傷其義彌至。就中亦有二階者，第一明念子之苦，第二明假設作念得子之樂也。從「父每念子」下竟「是以慇懃每憶其子」此是第一，明父念失子之苦，失解之子違離如來備經六道，故言「別離」。「五十餘年」，所以言餘年者，解有二種，一解云：「實只自有五道無別有阿修羅道，阿修羅道只攝入鬼神道，鬼神道中最勝者離出，詺作阿修羅道，既被出，故言餘也。」一家所習不然，善有三品，下品感阿修羅，其多諂曲求道甚難，故貶之在鬼神道也。此一段眾生既失大乘解，唯如來自知一應以來，不向聲聞辟支佛等說，故言「未曾向人說如此事」也。「心懷悔恨」者，悔在於我，恨在於子。何以知之？只悔我不堅償此兒遂令失去也。恨在於子者，汝不孤，然而要有父母，云何都不尋求？天性存父子之義。內合為論，悔我昔日二萬億佛所時用大乘化，不能得令登內凡夫信首得立使不退墮，恨者汝眾生神解本異乎木石，云何不堪憶我昔大乘之化而流浪生死耶？故言悔恨也。「自念老朽」者，廢大乘來久，故言老朽也。「財物」，如前解。「無有子息」者，無有委付以弘法紹繼之人，故言無有子息也。「一旦終沒財物散失」者，此明眾生既無機緣，如來便捨化他方，故言終沒。大乘經教於眾生無用，故義言散失無所委付也。「復作是念我若得子委付財物坦然快樂無復憂慮」下是第二階，假設作念得子之樂，內合明得眾生有大機發、有可化之緣，便稱如來大慈悲之意，故言無復憂慮也。

"The father constantly thought of his son": from here down is the fourth [subdivision], explaining that, the father having lost his son for a long time, his anxious longing grew ever deeper; but as sentient beings lose their understanding and broadly give rise to afflictions, the Tathāgata's compassionate pity reaches its utmost limit. Within this there are also two steps: the first explains the suffering of longing for the son, and the second explains the hypothetical joy imagined upon recovering the son. From "The father constantly thought of his son" down to "Therefore, he continually and earnestly remembered his son" is the first, explaining the suffering of the father longing for his lost son. The son who lost understanding departed from the Tathāgata and passed through all six destinies, hence it is said, "separated." Regarding "over fifty years," as to why it says "over [fifty] years," there are two explanations. One explanation says: "In reality there are only five destinies, and there is no separate asura destiny; the asura destiny is simply subsumed within the destiny of ghosts and spirits, and the most supreme among the ghosts and spirits are drawn out and designated as the asura destiny. Since they have been drawn out, it says 'over'." What our school learns is not so: wholesome deeds have three grades, and the lower grade brings about [rebirth as] an asura; because they are full of flattery and deviousness, seeking the path is extremely difficult for them, and therefore they are degraded into the destiny of ghosts and spirits. In this passage, since sentient beings had lost their understanding of the Great Vehicle, only the Tathāgata himself knew of it from that point on, and had not spoken of it to śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, or others; hence it is said, "he had never spoken to anyone of this matter." As for "cherished regret and resentment in his heart," the regret lay with oneself [the father], while the resentment lay with the son. How is this known? One only regrets: "I did not guard this boy securely, thus letting him be lost." The resentment lying with the son is: "You were not an orphan, but definitely had parents; why did you not search for them at all?" Such is the innate principle of father and son. Interpreted in internal application, the regret is: "Formerly, at the place of the two billion Buddhas, when I transformed them using the Great Vehicle, I was unable to cause them to ascend to the foremost rank of faith as internal ordinary persons and stand firmly so as not to fall back." The resentment is: "You sentient beings originally possess spiritual understanding distinct from wood and stone; why were you incapable of remembering my former teaching of the Great Vehicle, and instead wandered through birth and death?" Hence it says "regret and resentment." "He thought to himself that he was old and decrepit": having suspended [the teaching of] the Great Vehicle for a long time, he is therefore said to be "old and decrepit." "Property and wealth" is explained as before. "Having no children": having no one to whom he can entrust [it] to propagate the Dharma and continue the lineage, hence it is said that he had "no children." "Once [he] dies, his property and wealth will be scattered and lost": this explains that, sentient beings lacking the capacity and conditions, the Tathāgata would then abandon teaching [here] and go to other directions, hence it is said "dies." The scripture and teachings of the Great Vehicle being of no use to sentient beings, it is figuratively said to be "scattered and lost," having nowhere to be entrusted. From "He further thought: 'If I could find my son and entrust my property and wealth to him, I would be serene and joyful, having no further anxiety'" downward is the second step, imagining the joy of recovering the son. In internal application, it explains that if he finds sentient beings whose capacity for the Great [Vehicle] has arisen and who have conditions receptive to transformation, this will accord with the Tathāgata's intent of great compassion; hence it says "having no further anxiety."